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ISP Problems

Are PC users at the mercy of ISP providers without any regulartory means available?

I have had an ongoing problem with an ISP who:

1 - paid for a year's service and then they double billed me for about 6 months. Took me several months to get refunds

2 - did not tell me they had AOL email problems so that evenually had to obtain another ISP provider since most of my email recipients are on AOL and all such email was returned to me as undeliverable. Complaints to this ISP brought forth this remark: You have to go fight it out with AOL.

3 - was given a free tech line that turned out to be a cost line and was promised a refund of the charges on my phone bill which never happened

4 - was promised a refund of my contract charges since I could not use their service

These promised have been ongoing since August of this year by differing staff at this ISP. To date NO refunds have been received despite such remarks as:

the check is being cutyour check is in the mailwe will get back to you (no one has EVER called me from this ISP office during the almost a year of contract with them)One staff member even gave me a monetary figure that a check was being made out for - to date no such check has arrived.

When you call the ISP billing office you may wait as long as a half hour before anyone answers the phone

Upon referrals from differing agencies have written to:

Better Business BureauDepartment of Consumer Affairs of CAIFCC at their website (FBI)

The BBB went as far as they were able with the complaint saying the ISP did not repond to any of their communications.

The other departments said this ISP agency was not within their regulatory venue.

I have a hard time understanding how businesses can get away with such practices without some kind of regulations.

So I ask again - when dealing with ISPs, internet business problems is there no agency to regulate, condemn or monitor their business practices?

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I am not clear. Are you saying I should name the ISP involved here? Perfectly willing to but was not sure that was allowed.

I am sure I want regulation just felt some kind of condemnation, looking into the matter or recognition of bad practices could be made. Why do we have a CA consumer protection agency - what it is for then?

The ISP I am complaining about is Ixpres.com out of San Diego. The last communique I got from CA Consumer Affairs board besides saying they could not do anything was a referral to the San Diego Mediation Board. So will submit a complaint there also.

The only agency that has responded has been the BBB out of San Diego but they said ixpres never responded to their letters and so they can just go so far. At least the complaint is registered with them should any more come into their office.